Elk Grove tips Fremd, serves up title shotRed-hot run puts Grenadiers in position for MSL East crown

By Ken Keenan

ELK GROVE VILLAGE -- Something's cooking at Elk Grove, and it's bubbling up even hotter than an unbeaten streak that hit eight after a 1-0 decision over visiting Fremd in Mid-Suburban League play on Saturday.

All the Grenadiers need to capture the MSL East title and earn a slot in the league's Soccer Bowl is a victory over Schaumburg in their regular season finale on Monday. Elk Grove (6-3-1 in conference play) holds the tiebreaker in the division race.

"We've got to lock in against Schaumburg and do whatever it takes to get a win," said first-year head coach Dean Burrier Sanchis, whose squad improved to 9-4-2 overall with the win over Fremd, its sixth straight. "We need to win that game. We're changing expectations here -- what we can do as a team and what other teams think of us."

Grenadiers senior forward Amanda Sitkowski netted the winning tally against Fremd, scoring from in front with 14:42 left in the second half. After Vikings sophomore goalkeeper Jennifer Norris punched out a 25-yard strike by energetic freshman midfielder Alex Joshi, Chicagoland Soccer's MVP of the Match, senior mid Leila Aguilar found the rebound on the left side and slid the ball to Sitkowski for the finishing touch.

"I saw the goalie shift over, and I got it by her," Sitkowski said. "We had a lot of other chances, too. But once we got the goal, I knew we were good. We've gotten better with game management -- getting the ball out, taking extra time off the clock -- just seeing the games out."

Sitkowski, who endured ACL injuries in her freshman and sophomore campaigns, and a trio of sub-.500 records, added: "We have a lot of confidence in each other. As we're winning more, we're trusting each each other and building each other up."

Joshi, a force in the match all over the field, whether helping out on defense with timely clears, settling things down in the midfield or joining the attack up front, said, "If I could describe this team in one word, it's 'resilient.' We're never gonna let up. Once we had the lead, I knew we'd be able to control the game."

Joshi nearly broke the scoreless deadlock in the 52nd minute, banging a shot off the left post after taking a pass from Sitkowski. Elk Grove's freshman phenom also hit the crossbar after finding a corner sent by Sitkowski in the game's final seconds.

"She's dynamite -- only a freshman on paper," Burrier Sanchez said of Joshi. "The awareness, the vision, the understanding of the game ... plus she kicks up the effort, the hustle. She does whatever it takes the whole time. So much heart as an athlete. You can put her anywhere on the field, and she'll do what the team needs."

Added Sitkowski: "Alexa (Joshi) has been a nice addition. She's a leader by example, and I appreciate that. Being vocal is fine, but doing the work is more important."

Fremd (6-8-3, 6-4-1), which entered the match on the heels of a hard-fought 1-1 tie with Schaumburg Friday night, never mounted much to threaten the Grenadiers. A free kick from midfield by freshman forward Caeleigh Stone in the 13th minute trickled wide-right, and a head attempt by junior midfielder Layla Dib missed wide-left with 37:15 to go in the second session.

In the 70th minute, Fremd sophomore mid Maya Poyraz concluded a long run down the right side with a wide-angle try that sailed wide-left as Elk Grove junior keeper Rachel Kandefer held her ground at the left post. Two minutes later, Vikings senior defender Marta Cholewa sent a 50-yard free kick that was headed out of harm's way by stellar Elk Grove senior defender Emma Slattery.

"It's hard to come back on a Saturday morning after playing Friday night," said Fremd head coach Steve Keller. "But the schedule is no excuse. We have to be smarter. I have no complaints about our fight and desire, it's the mental aspect we have to fix."

Vikings sophomore midfielder Mackenzie Stein said, "We should have come out harder. I don't think we had the fire. We didn't put our full effort in, and it cost us the game. We took it too lightly. But we're gonna drop this game and make the next ones count."

Added Fremd sophomore defender Elizabeth Prigge: "We need to focus on how we're gonna play, not who we play."

Meanwhile, Elk Grove was focused from the get-go. The Grenadiers created several chances in the first 40 minutes, including a long free kick by Slattery that Norris juggled and held, a wide-angle shot by sophomore mid Kate Talens that missed wide-left, a solid strike by junior mid Gabriella Mauro that also was momentarily juggled by Norris, a sneaky corner kick by sophomore mid Emily Sitkowski that was cleared by Fremd at the goal line, and a nifty one-timer from 10 yards by Amanda Sitkowski that Norris stopped.

The only shot Norris didn't stop was the one that held up for yet another Elk Grove victory.

"Credit Elk Grove for getting the goal and getting the win," Keller said. "They played a nice game. They worked hard for each other and got the job done."

Grenadiers sophomore mid Kate Talens said, "This year, we're on the other side of the score. Everyone is really positive."

Added Burrier Sanchis: "It's the belief we have in each other, finding ways to support each other and play for each other. Since the beginning of the season, we've never had doubts. The resilience, the belief in each other, is there."

An opportunity to face MSL West champion Barrington in the league's championship match is there as well.

"As a senior, it's good to be part of this," Amanda Sitkowski said. "A chance to be in the Soccer Bowl, that's amazing."